Many high school and college teens do not know about the high number of summer jobs available for teens in government agencies, municipally and county offices and programs. Teens who want to get a jump on the competition should be following these 5 steps now to get a summer job in a government agency this year.

Research, Research, Research

There are many sources of information for teens looking for a summer job with the government. The first place a teen can start researching is with the guidance counselor or career center on their high school or college campus. Speak with career counselors about getting a summer job with the government and let them help you get started. The career center possibly works with recruiters from government agencies who visit the campus. Guidance counselors can also direct you to the online job boards for the different government agencies. One of the best research sources would be the A-Z Index of U.S. Government Departments and Agencies.

Resume and Cover Letter

While still in the career center on campus, ask the career counselor how to get started with writing a resume and cover letter.. The job applications for these summer jobs with the government can be quite overwhelming for a teen. Schedule an appointment with the counselor to review the job application. Pick up any resume or job application guides in the career center.

Contact your references

You will need to get reference letters for your application for these summer jobs with government agencies or at least have a list of people who will vouch for you. Begin to think about who will write a reference letter for you. If they are teachers, coaches or volunteers on campus, connect with them early and let them know you will be applying for a summer job with a government agency and you will have certain deadlines to meet.

Complete the job application process

The key point here if you want to land a summer job with a government agency is to follow the application instructions. Plan to spend many hours putting your summer job application materials together. Teens always underestimate how long it will take to put all the pieces together for a good job application. When you think you have all the materials together, make another visit to the career center and have a counselor review your application packet.